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Beibut Shumenov Stops
William Joppy In 6
WBA/IBA Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov (11-1, 7
KOs) successfully defended his world titles for the second
time, stopping 3-time world champion William Joppy in the
sixth round, tonight in front of a packed house at the Ice
Mansion in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Joppy (39-6-2, 30 KOs) replaced WBO titlist Juergen Braehmer,
who last Monday night suddenly and unexpectedly pulled out
of his scheduled unification showdown against Shumenov, in
the main event.
The former Kazakhstan Olympian, now fighting out of Las
Vegas, floored Joppy in the fifth round with a powerful
right and seconds into the sixth round, he fired a vicious
left hook to Joppy’s body that resulted in him taking a knee
and being 10-counted out. Shumenov joined fellow world
champion Lucian Bute and former superstar Felix Trinidad as
the only fighters to ever stop the game, experienced Joppy.
“I’m happy but still want to be the undisputed light
heavyweight champion of the world,” Shumenov said after the
fight. “That is my goal. I took a little while to get to
Joppy because I had prepared four months to fight a
southpaw.
“I can go toe-to-toe or move and box. I’m trying to learn
everything to be the best, using my power and speed. He’s
(head trainer Kevin Barry) the greatest. I listened to my
corner. I want to fight the best - the other three world
champions. I can’t be considered the best until I’ve beaten
the other three champions.”
“Under the circumstances,” Barry noted, “I thought that
Beibut’s performance was incredible. It was a fight that I
didn’t like because he was fighting a last-minute
replacement with a lot of excperience. Mentally and
emotionally, I was concerned because he was deflated and he
had to get back up in three days. He has a world-class jab.
The plan was for him to throw to the body in the first few
rounds and then go to the head. Everything worked out well
for us.”
The show was presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions and KZ
Event Productions, which is owned and operated by the
Shumenov brothers, Beibut and Chingis, in Las Vegas.
In the co-feature, Uzbekistan native Ravshan Hudaynazarov
(14-0, 12 KOs), rated No. 13 by the WBA, won the WBA
FEDALATIN Welterweight title by 10th-round technical
knockout due to a deep cut over Jose Luis “Chelin” Cruz’
right eye. A devastating body puncher, the 26-year-old
Hudaynazarov dropped Cruz (41-8-2, 33 KOs) with a left hook
to the liver late in the opening round, but his Mexican
opponent proved to be as tough as advertised. Cruz had
fought a draw with Carlos Baldomir and took Shane Mosley the
full distance.
On the advice of the ring doctor, the referee stopped the
fight in the 10th round, but Hudaynazarov gained invaluable
experience having never before fought more than six rounds.
He won every round on the three judges’ scorecards through
nine in a thoroughly convincing performance.
Former Kazakhstan National Amateur Champion Alexandr
Zhuravskiy (11-0, 8 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas, kept
his perfect pro record intact by knocking out Ruben “Modern
Day” Galvan in the sixth round to capture the WBA
International Super Lightweight Championship. Zhuravskiy
methodically broke-down Galvan, who had been stopped only
twice in 45 previous fights, flooring him with a left and
then immediately jumping on him with a 1-2 combination that
ended the fight.
Unbeaten Interim PABA Light Heavyweight Gayrat Shumenov
(16-0-1, 10 KOs), rated No. 65 by the WBA, successfully
defended that belt and added the WBC International crown to
his collection when Tursunboy Absullakimov was unable to
answer the bell to start the fifth round.
Hudaynazarov, Zhuravfskiy and Ahmedov are all in the KZ
Event Productions stable of fighters.
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